Cooking with Coffee

For many people, a morning or afternoon cup of coffee is a ritual not to be missed. With its alluring aroma, rich taste and pick-me-up quality, it is no wonder coffee is one of the world’s most widely consumed beverages. Today, more than ever before, coffee lovers need not go far to find a café offering up top quality coffee made from beans that have been ethically sourced and locally roasted.

Coffee beans are actually the seed of the coffee plant, which grows in tropical climates in an area of the world known as the coffee belt or bean belt. Just like fine wine, the terroir (soil, climate and farming practices) in which the coffee plants grow will greatly affect the flavour of the beans. With tasting notes running the gamut from floral, fruity and sweet, to spicy, smoky and nutty, there is sure to be a cup to suit everyone’s taste.

Not only are we spoiled for choice, but our comforting cup of Joe also comes with a host of health benefits. Coffee, in moderation, can improve cognitive performance, enhance alertness and boost overall mood, and is a rich source of antioxidants. It has also been shown to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease, and protect against certain liver disorders. However, drinking too much coffee may sabotage these positive effects.

With all that coffee has going for it, why limit it to only a mug? Cooking with your favourite ground or brewed coffee can bring a whole new dimension to your recipe repertoire. Coffee enhances the flavour of other ingredients while lending a subtle earthy undertone to a dish. So settle in with your favourite blend, take inspiration from the following recipes and drink up the benefits of coffee today.

Recipes

• Spiced Pears with Coffee “Cream”
• Cowboy Black Bean Soup
• A.C.T. Sliders
• Banana Buzz Scones

Caffeine content

It’s hard to pin down the exact quantity of caffeine in coffee, as it varies depending on how the beans are roasted, how it is brewed and the amount of coffee poured per cup.

Espresso explained

While coffee and espresso are both made from the same beans (there is no such thing as an espresso bean), many experts will agree that they’re two very different drinks. In a nutshell, espresso is made by forcing hot water through tightly packed, finely ground coffee for a limited amount of time at a very high pressure. The resulting coffee beverage has a thick, almost creamy, mouth feel with a layer of dense foam on top. While stronger tasting than coffee by volume, espresso has much less caffeine than a 200 ml cup of coffee.